Shadow Adventures: Yin-Yang
by PockyNerd
Summary: Yuna is a human with the ability to see auras and feel the emotions of others and expects a predictable world. Her expectations are shattered when Shadow forces her to find the Millennium Crystal; a dark crystal that has strange effects on her. Shadow and Yuna must now dig in their past and unearth memories and enemies to get their answers.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters or the world(s) that may appear in the story: all rights belong to SEGA. **

_The winters on Earth are so cold_, I complain inwardly as I make my way through the snow, dragging a sled toward home. When do they melt again? Summer? Spring? Sometimes the seasons blend together. Maria would have never expected this.

The callous winds blow from behind me, the red streaks of my hair to blow into my eyes. The black strands act as a blindfold. I force them back and hold them in place behind my ears. The wind changes directions blowing the hair into my eyes again. Giving up I let them go and move my hand over my nose and mouth, hoping to warm them.

I finally get to the house and prop the sled near the door like I've done for years. I glance down at the mat. Why do I do this again? It's a familiar thing to do, I've done it since I've been on the Space Colony ARK. But I can't remember why I used to check the mats. Did I ever have a mat in front of my door?

Shaking my head I remind myself those questions are useless. I stare at the mat for a few more seconds. "It's moved thirty-eight degrees to the right," I tell myself. "Why? Maybe it was me." I walk inside. "But that doesn't make any sense," and turn on the light, "I always check my mat. It was forty-eight degrees to the left." A disinterest forces itself in my head, forces my being to become uncaring and nonchalant and…broken…it's familiar and safe.

"And it still hasn't changed in six years."

I jump at the familiar voice on my couch. A hedgehog, black and red, his eyes full of hate but love is lying underneath just waiting to come from the dam. "Except maybe your hair. It was blond when I met you. Did you dye it like mine on purpose?" He isn't interested in why I dyed my hair the way I did.

Still, I smile at the attempt at politeness. It's not his weakness but also not his strength. I half tackle the anthropomorphic, pressing him between me and the couch. I don't expect him to laugh or hug back, as always I just expect him to sit there. We pull away.

"What are you doing here? Shouldn't you be with Uncle Robotnik and Maria?"

Shadow doesn't answer. He stares at me with blank eyes. The half evil aura still surrounds him. Finally, he stands and crosses his arms.

I kneel. "Shadow, talk to me."

"I don't need a therapist, Yuna." He snaps. "I need your ability."

I frown and stand and walk to the kitchen. The stove smells of gas when I turn it on. "I moved out to the country to avoid auras. I hate seeing color all the time. I hate feeling the emotions of other people and anthropomorphic. I can't feel or see animal aura. I love that."

It doesn't give me comfort even as I say it. Shadow can see it in my emerald eyes. Isolation sucks, especially ordered isolation by your own family. I close my eyes and sigh deeply. Uncle Gerald Robotnik, laughing at Maria and enjoying her presence. But as soon as I catch his attention he scolds me for asking stupid questions I should have already hypothesized. Was I nothing but an experiment for him? But I also can see him forcing me to promise to stay away from anything and anyone related to G.U.N including himself and everyone on ARK.

I open my eyes and stare down at shadow. "I can't go."

"He's dead, Yuna."

"I promised him I'd stay here…in isolation, away from G.U.N and the U.F. I promised him, Shadow the Hedgehog! And it'll stay that way like it has been for six years!" I don't know why I'm yelling at him but I still do. A passion and type of anger ignites within me, burning in my lungs, heart and stomach, engulfing my entire being.

"Things change Yuna!"

His aura changes from grey to red but disappears as fast as it came. Does my aura look like that when I get frustrated?

"Not in my life. Not anymore." The kettle whistles. I take it off the stove, turn it off and pour myself tea. "I'm not coming with you quietly."

Shadow shrugs nonchalantly. "I didn't expect you to."

I open my mouth to ask him something but suddenly I'm hit with something. Hard. And I like a rock, I go down.


	2. Chapter 2

_I run through the Space Colony ARK, laughing like the little girl I am. It's bright but somehow it feels dark. The dark energy is coming from somewhere. I can feel my soul being plunged into a cold, dark space and soon it surrounds me. As I breathe bubbles fly upward as if I am in water. I'm frozen. I try to move my arms and legs but I can't. I can't breathe._

I gasp for air and wake up. It's dark around me, it looks and feels like I'm in a box. I feel claustrophobic. I need to get out. Under me is something comfortable and soft. Suddenly I don't want to get up, I just want to stay here and float and disappear into oblivion.

_Get up, _I tell myself. I throw off the sheet and set my feet on the ground. It's cold like tile and it feels like the A/C is on. I can feel a neutral aura, a darker aura, and a strange, almost greedy, aura. I feel around the room until I find the door and I crack it open. The next room looks like a hotel room with a mini kitchen and two twin beds. A bat sits on one, her legs crossed, inspecting some gems that change color as she twirls them in the light. On the other bed is a robot. It seems to be…sleeping?

I tilt my head at the thought of a robot sleeping and almost laugh. It's silly, robots can't sleep!

Then I see Shadow, he's closest to the door and easy to miss. The red streaks give him away, however.

"Shadow, why are you just standing there?" The bat-girl complains. "She's out cold, she's not going anywhere."

"If she really wants to go home she'll find a way out. This will be the first place she'll try to get out. After that she'll hopefully give up."

I cover my mouth so to not let out an audible sigh. Well I guess I jump out the window…assuming there are any windows. I shut the door and feel around for a lamp or a switch of some form. I find nothing but I did eventually make my way toward the windows and pull the blinds up.

The city looks beautiful when it's lit but unlike most cities, this lacks an underlying ugliness. The lights are of different, light, subtle colors. I can't tell where I am at. This city is almost made entirely of water. It looks like someone would have to drive boats to get from one side of the street to another.

I lay my head against the window and watch the ground below. Teenagers run around the hotel and hide in the shadows, probably to make out or something along those lines.

The moonlight bathes the room in a pale white light. I open the other blinds to light the room more. The lamps have no shades and the bulbs are broken, the small kitchen looks messy as if someone had just cooked in it and the bathroom door is closed. It must be a cheap motel.

It takes no time for me to fall back asleep but I don't wake up as early as I want to. Sharp wind hitting my face wakes me up. The sky is bright blue, and the sun hurts my eyes. I groan realizing what-no-who I'm sleeping on; the robot that had been "asleep" in the motel.

"Where the hell are we going?" I groan.

The bat looks like she wants to say something but uses all her energy to refrain. "Put her down, Omega, we're here."

Carefully, the robot sets me on my feet. My head rushes to get my feet prepared for the landing but fails and I suddenly feel dizzy. "What do you want?" I want to kick the hedgehog for dragging me so far.

"You know where the Millennium Crystal is." He explains.

The Millennium Crystal, a crystal from long before my time. The Juziku's Priest or Priestess wore it to bless the land. But it was buried when one of their Priests turned into a demon. The location of the Crystal was carved into a cave Uncle Robotnik found years ago.

"What do you need it for?"

Now the bat chimed in, "It's a valuable crystal. And very beautiful…according to historical reports."

"And who are you?"

"No need to be snappy. My name is Rouge."

"I'm Yuna. You'd be snappy too if you had a rude awakening." Her aura color quickly changes but doesn't change back as quickly as Shadows does. I shift my attention back to him. "The Juziku clan wanted it kept a secret for a reason. Uncle Robotnik shouldn't even have found the map to its location. According to historical records there will be natural disasters everywhere like in the ancient times."

Shadow is unmoved. "You are helping me find it."

I start to walk away. Shadow forces me to stop when he gets in my way.

"You won't go home until I find it." He clarifies.

I sigh. Well now what do I do? Do I help him find it or do we stay here for all eternity? "Fine," I say grudgingly. I try to make myself look terrifying by broadening my shoulders and staring him down. "But if you don't uphold your promise I'll make sure you regret it."

I see myself in his eyes. I'm not terrifying at all, in fact instead of broadening my shoulders I've somehow made my chest twice as big. Shadow stares up at me, his eyes cold and burdened with years of living with Marie's death on his conscious.

Then, one by one, we file ourselves inside the narrow hole leading into a cave.


	3. Chapter 3

The cave is narrow, forcing Rouge and Omega to fall in line while Shadow and I, between his small stature and my skinny physique, walk side by side. I slow down as I stare at the cave's beauty. The ceiling is obviously formed by either an old volcano or a glacier that is well melted by now. On the caves walls are paintings. They've been faded with time.

Rouge squeezes by me impatiently. Omega seems patient though. We stare at the faded paintings together while Shadow and Rouge makes their way forward. I stop at one particular painting. It looks new. It's a black and white circle with a squiggle through it making it look like two comets. The dots in their centers are the opposite colors.

I reach my hand out and press my fingers against it, slide it away, and look at my hand. "It's chalk," I tell Omega though I really don't think he cares. "And it's new."

"Somebody has been here before then," The robot observes.

Something inside me is surprised that he can talk but I try not to let it show too much on my face. "Yeah. Do you know what this means, Omega?" I turn to him, excitement coming over me, crashing like a wave. "It means that the clan isn't extinct like we thought! They're still here, checking on the Crystal!" I take his hand and jump up and down, laughing. I feel like a kid in Uncle Robotnik's lab again.

"Hurry up, Yuna! We can't make it without you!"

"We're coming." We leave the rubbed off symbol.

In front of shadow are two trails. In my minds eye, the map comes into my head. "Careful, there are a ton of traps here," I say. I can see the fork in the map and remember a red and a white person. "Left." I finally say and move forward to the left. There are many trails that aren't on the map. Possibly the trails were never there but most likely it was to make the map more confusing than it already is. Still, we are able to get through with little disruption from any possible traps.

Finally, we get to a room made of crystal and ice. The crystal room is twenty degrees cooler than outside. In the middle of it are placeholders for what looks like gems of some form and in the middle of that is an icy-blue crystal.

"The Millennium Crystal is…beautiful." Rouge is hypnotized by it.

Something pulls me toward the Crystal. My heart feels like it's being tugged by it. I start to make my way toward the Crystal. Nobody stops me. Perhaps they want to see if there are traps.

I stop In front of it. It flashes to a purplish-black color but is soon overcome by the icy blue. _What was that? _I frown and touch its smooth side.

_I feel like I'm under frozen water. I can't move my body. The ice above me transforms itself into a mirror. The girl inside is me, with black hair and red streaks. I laugh inwardly. _I look like Shadow.

_ The girl's eyes turns all black with no whites and her hair changes white with purple streaks. On her forehead is a comet-looking symbol with the white dot…like half of the circle symbol. _

_ "How does it feel to be trapped, Priestess?" She hisses._

_ Priestess? I'm not even apart of the Juziku clan! I'm no Priestess. This spirit or demon or whatever she is must be mistaken. "Who are you? Where are we?"_

_ I'm able to move again and instead of lying down I stand upright. I feel like I'm in a box, though. It feels like the wall behind me is unsteady though. If I could move I would push it. My heart starts to race with panic of an enclosed space. I feel like I'm buried alive somewhere. The thought scares me._

_ "We are in your subconscious…my subconscious…well ours I guess." Her smile holds no warmth to it. I can't see her aura so she must be telling the truth. She must be apart of me. What kind of demon is this?_

_ Music plays. It's a piano with some violin in it. In the mirror people dance behind her and everyone is dressed up as if it's a ball. It really is my subconscious. I remember this dream perfectly, in the end nobody gets what they want._

_ "How does it feel to be trapped with me again?"_

_ "Who are you?"_

_ "We won't get anywhere with answering each other with a question. I am Yin. You are Yang. Now, Yang, how does it feel to be trapped?"_

_ I force my heart to try and slow down but in vain. Still, I am able to force my face to blank any emotion. "I'm not trapped."_

_ She gives me a puzzled look._

_ "We're in my mind. I'm not trapped. You are." The control slows my heart rate slightly._

_ She laughs. "Then why are you the one in the mirror?"_

_ I point at her. "You are."_

_ I suddenly don't feel like I'm trapped in a box anymore. I can feel the breeze behind me. _

I slowly wake. Nobody is calling my name like friends are supposed to do in movies. We aren't in a movie, though, and I didn't expect Shadow or Rouge or Omega to show any concern for me.

"The Crystal is black!" Rouge seems displeased. "What did you do to it?"

My vocals seem paralyzed. I look around. Shadow's aura is a purple; concern. Rouge is black; anger. I open my mouth but no sound comes out. In fact, it feels dry, like I've been in the desert for days with no water.

Slowly, I sit up and think through the events. "I don't know." I finally say. "But I know someone who might."

Shadow's eyes hold mine. He knows who I'm thinking of and I know he is thinking of the same person.


	4. Chapter 4

"I can't believe you dragged me into this mess." I try to keep the complaint for only Shadow's ears but by the way Rouge's ears twitch it's obvious she heard me as well.

Shadow stays silent, looking out over the river.

The boat is more like a bus. Everyone is either standing or sitting and there's little space to move. Those who aren't used to the little space trip over feet and people as they get on and off the boat while others somehow maneuver their way to an empty spot.

"I should have stayed home. I was fine in the country."

Shadow sighs, though whether in annoyance or stress is hard to tell.

I sigh making my annoyance clear, and braid my hair. The red streaks weave awkwardly through making random red patches.

"What happened when you passed out?" Rouge asks.

I look at her. "I passed out?"

She answers with an odd look.

"I just had a daydream. The Crystal shocked me, I think." It isn't a good guess and I hope Rouge doesn't figure out that I'm lying.

We get off at the city limits. I start walking but nobody follows me. I turn around to find everyone is just standing at the limits.

"Well let's go." I say impatiently. "The faster we get there, the faster I get this over with and the faster you all can leave me alone!"

"You're too slow on your feet." Shadow explains. "Let Omega carry you. Even he's faster than you."

I can't help but roll my eyes, and get on Omega's back grudgingly. However, I do have to admit that Omega is faster than I thought. I thought that based on his mass and height he'd be slower. I guess I really don't know as much as I like to think.

The snow has melted for the two days I was gone. The ground has muddy patches, especially near the house. Omega lets me down on the porch, away from the mud.

"How did you know I still had Uncle's notes?" I ask Shadow as we walk inside. Omega stays outside.

"Who else would have the remaining notes?"

"Try Ivo. I'm sure he has a bunch of Uncle Robotnik's stuff." I start to look in drawers and knock on the bottoms of them until I find the ones with a hidden bottom. I take out the memory card when I find it and walk to my computer. The monitor has layers of dust on it as well as the keyboard. I haven't had a need to turn it on in years.

I slide in the card. "Or even G.U.N has some. Hacking into their memory system shouldn't be a problem for you all."

Shadow doesn't answer.

We wait until the computer turns on and then I click on the memory card bringing up hundreds of documents with scientific and encrypted names. Rouge crinkles her forehead in puzzlement.

I click on a document but encryptions cover the screen. I shake my head. "I should have known."

"What?"

I look up at Rouge. "He encrypted everything." She's still puzzled. "Meaning, everything is scrambled unless I…give it a kind of password." I move the cursor down and click on another memory disk. A loading screen pops up.

I lay my head down as it scrambles random letter-number combinations. Soon the document pops up with no encryptions. Like always it's a video. I play it.

_"Obviously if you are watching this you have found the Millennium Crystal." Uncle Robotnik says, his age forever frozen in the video. "And, as I've thought, it has given Yuna Robotnik another, possibly magical ability. Though it's highly unlikely." He chuckles humorlessly. _

_ Robotnik disappears behind an image of a cave, similar to the one we were in, with similar drawings made of chalk. "According to Juziku history, many of their Priests and Priestesses-which seem to be held at a higher standard than their Elder-would use this Crystal at least once in their lifetime to bless the land with many vegetation and wildlife. It would take away so much of the Crystal's power that it would take another generation for it to recharge, which is more than enough time to find an heir. Anyone else who tried to use it would face terrible consequences from the Crystal itself. It seems as if the Crystal would have enough power to totally heal someone of an otherwise incurable disease._

_ "However, for some reason it had an opposite effect on a Priest 'of pure heart' it states. He cursed their land. The Juziku seem to believe there's a spirit that fed off the negative energy of everyone else that year. _

_ "I want to test the myths this clan had set up for this Crystal." The image disappears from the screen. "It's unknown how the Crystal or its "spirit" was sealed away. Yuna Juziku will be my greatest experiment yet."_

The video stops playing. I stare at the screen for longer than I intended to. Was there another Yuna aboard the ARK? Or was everything Uncle Robotnik told me a lie?


	5. Chapter 5

Everyone sits around the family room, either waiting for answers or thinking of some. I bite my thumb nail until it comes off and then move on to my index finger. Should I stay here or try to figure out my real history?

Rouge twists the Millennium Crystal in the afternoon light. The purplish-black color doesn't change its color, it only looks cloudy in the light.

"What do we do now?" Omega finally asks.

"Do whatever you want." I answer before Rouge. "I've got some 'family' to call upon." I stand.

"You aren't planning on leaving?"

"Of course I'm leaving this dump, Shadow! The world is no longer predictable as long as I have this question hanging over my head. However once I've fixed the situation I'll be coming back right here."

A smile twitches at Shadow's lips but he masterly suppresses it.

"I just need to figure out where Ivo is." I start circling the couch.

"I know just how you can find him." Rouge stands from her perch on the windowsill. "But we'll need something that can fly."

I smirk, though I vainly try to hide it. "That can be arranged."

I make everyone wade toward the barn a half mile from the house. The doors are heavier than I remember them so I struggle to open them. In front of us is a small plane meant only for two people. Grudgingly I turn to Omega.

"I'm sorry, Omega, you'll have to stay here. You'll weigh us down."

Omega doesn't seem to mind but it doesn't make me feel any better.

"One of you two," I turn to Rouge and Shadow, "will have to sit on the roof. Unless you can somehow manage to squish together."

Amazingly I'm somehow the one sharing a seat with Rouge by the time we take off. Neither of us like it very much but she refuses to sit up on the roof. I'm not sure I get why, I would imagine sitting on the roof is pretty nice.

"Can you direct me accurately, Rouge?"

"Of course I can."

"Good. Then start directing me; where are we going?"

"Wherever Sonic is."

"Too vague, smartass." I look forward as my mind processes the name. Then I look at her. "Who's Sonic?"

Rouge smiles proudly. "Someone he's been trying to beat for some time."

"And all these years he's never been successful? A guy with a higher IQ than the two of us?" I can't help but grin. "Sounds like there's more to this Sonic and Ivo's relationship than we can see."

Rouge doesn't comment. She continues as if I hadn't commented, "He's a blue hedgehog. He should be out in the forest somewhere."

"Again, Rouge, too vague. I need an exact location," I take my hands off of the stick, gesturing with my hands. "Which forest? Is it the one nearest to Station Square? Father away? Is it in one of the Islands?"

"Don't take your hands off the stick!" Rouge grabs it.

"Oh relax, what's the worst that could happen? I mean, besides crashing of course."

"I would imagine crashing into that plane." Shadow points ahead. Whoever is driving it either isn't paying attention or can't see me.

I take the stick quickly and turn, circling around the plane. "And you guys were freaking out."

Rouge opens her mouth as if to say something, pointing back at the plane, but she closes it without a sound.

I land near a hillside and get out to stretch my legs. Neither Rouge or Shadow get out. This place looks so much like home except greener and almost animated. Everything here seems so predictable and peaceful.

The wind picks up, stroking the grass with its cool hands. The sun sets over the trees slowly. It starts to paint the sky in unpredictable times and manners, but the colors are all the same.

"I don't fly in the dark," I announce as if somebody asked. "We'll go in the morning."

A metallic groan comes from the trees.

"What was that?" Shadow starts to look around slowly, taking in the surroundings.

"Probably the wind rubbing up against something foreign. Like metal or wire…or the plane." I knock against its metal body then open a small compartment filled with blankets and pillows. I grab one of each for everyone.

The groan comes again.

"I think someone's out there."

"I think everyone is paranoid, Rouge. Nothing is out there except wild animals. And I've read up on what to do should we encounter a predator so I think we'll be safe."

I don't even notice Shadow leaving.

"You just think you're above everyone."

"No, I know I'm more rational than you are. Animals are much more afraid of us than we are of them. The only time an animal attacks is when they feel threatened, to protect their young and on some occasions, when they get hungry. But in a place this vast there's got to be more prey around here than us."

CLANK! The sound is hallow. I turn. A circular, red robot groans, not bothering to stand from his lying position.

Shadow jumps from the tree. "So what happens to us if a predator is stupid?"

I look at him dumbfounded. Then I realize it's a mocking sarcasm. I laugh.


	6. Chapter 6

We start to spread out around the plane but even as we do there's no escape from the red robots ramblings.

"…Dr. Eggman would never think of such kind things." Orbot says as I start to listen to him again.

"Dr. Eggman? Is that what everyone calls Ivo? Why is that?" I smooth out the blanket on the ground.

Orbot draws an egg with arms and legs and a head in the dirt. "Because of his egg-shaped torso."

"Wow, that does look a lot like Ivo…except you forgot this." I draw glasses and a mustache. I grin as Orbot and I continue to add things to the drawing making it look ridiculous.

"I like you, Orbot. You're not dark…you are…cartoonish." I lay on the blanket. The robot mimics a sniffle.

"That is the nicest thing anyone's ever said to me!" His arms wrap around my waist as he mimics crying. I can't tell if it's sincere or mocking so I laugh uncomfortably.

The next morning I pack up the blankets. For the first time Orbot is quiet and actually lazy. I make Rouge and Shadow sit together while Orbot sits in front with me. I spin the propeller and quickly climb into the drivers seat.

The clouds are spread out in random tuffs.

"Dr. Eggman was heading that way when I was dropped." He points the way the plane is already heading.

"Anything we should be on the lookout for, then?"

"A big, red ship."

"Well that shouldn't be too hard to find." Shadow crosses his arms.

Shadow is right, the red ship-looking aircraft isn't hard to find at all. Conveniently, a ramp in the back is open allowing me to land. It closes soon after I land. Orbot is the first to jump out, running quickly to, what I assume is, a hallway.

"Shouldn't we follow him?" Rouge gets out quickly, ready to pursue him.

"No," I get out. "Ivo's aircraft looks fairy easy to navigate from outside so it should be just as easy." I start to walk in the direction Orbot went and everyone follows. We make a triangle shape, I notice when I look back.

We wander through the halls. Everything is quiet and some hallways are darker than others. They're very metallic, similar to how ARK was designed. I stop to look outside. The sky and ground are beautiful.

I take in the hallway and notice a big, orange-red aura. I follow it and open the door it's behind. Orbot is laying lazily in the corner while his cube-looking, yellow brother sweeps.

Ivo turns around and takes in the three of us. His surprised face transforms into one of disbelief. "Yuna?"

I smile. "In the flesh, Ivo." I restrain from running and hugging him. His aura flickers to cyan for a second.

Ivo shakes his head, reconstructing his face to stern. "What do you want?"

Somehow, I still sense he's surprised. "I came across something. I thought maybe you have some answers to my question." I look at Rouge and hold out my hand.

Reluctantly she goes to give me the Millennium Crystal. Before any of us can see, Rouge cries out in surprise and drops the black crystal. Inside of it, blue streaks like lightening flash across it. Next to the Crystal is a pen.

I look a Ivo in surprise.

"You cannot touch that Crystal, Yuna!"

"Why not? It's just a Crystal."

"It's more than that." Ivo scrambles over and picks up the Crystal before Rouge can and runs to his computer. On the huge monitor pops up pictures. "To the Juziku Clan, this Crystal came from the gods." He changes slides to paintings. "They believed they pleased the gods for hundreds of years by attempting to gather Chaos Emeralds and presenting them. However, they'd only be scattered even farther. They were given the Millennium Crystal along with someone with the powers to control the Crystal. However, there was one year their Priest vanished and another one rose up. Cursing the land."

"We know that."

"Well, the same thing will happen if you hold the Crystal for too long. Natural disasters everywhere. It'll be the end of the world as we know it! Gerald theorized that the Clan's newest Priest came from someone called Black Doom. The same person that helped create Shadow. Which probably explains why you haven't aged in the past sixty years."

I suddenly feel lightheaded. I have to sit. "Sixty years? But…that can't be right! I'm seventeen!"

"You only appear seventeen. In actuality, you're genes cannot age beyond this point. But you aren't immortal. You just age slower than humans do."

I can't breathe. "So…that makes me…"

"Seventy-Seven years old." He finishes. "You're older than I am."

"Yuna?" Shadow's voice has an underlying concern to it.

I put my hand to my pounding head. "Did you know," I choke out, "that we aren't related?

Ivo nods.

"When?"

"Years ago. I figured it out soon after I met Shadow."

And he didn't tell me. _You didn't tell me! Why didn't you tell me? So if I'm not Yuna Robotnik and I'm seventy-seven years old then where do I really come from? Who am I? _But that's not the question that comes out next.

"How did Un-how did Dr. Gerald find me?"

Ivo bites his lip, hesitating. Finally he pulls up a web page of an orphanage in Square Station. It's shabby-looking and very dark. "He found you here by chance and adopted you soon after he talked to you."

The room suddenly becomes small. I don't remember the orphanage because of my age. Why did he lie?

I put my hand on the wall to support me as I stand. Black floods my vision and I hit the floor. I hear everyone run toward me.

"She just needs to process this," Ivo informs Rouge and Shadow. His voice is filled with…pity.

_How dare he pity me! _It doesn't sound like my own thought but I slip from consciousness before I can question the voice any more.


	7. Chapter 7

The darkness behind my eyelids recedes from the light. The sun is setting in a deep orange and peek glow, painting a beautiful scene. Shadow stands some distance away, his arms crossed like they always are, and blocking my view of the beautiful sunset.

My throat is dry and tightens when I try to say something. So instead I just lay there, paralyzed by the flood of information I received hours before.

_"You only appear seventeen. In actuality, you're genes cannot age beyond this point."_

"What do you think it's like?" Shadow asks Rogue when she approaches him. She has a bag with some form of fast food in it. The grease leaks from the bottom. That cannot be good for a person to eat.

"What do I think what is like?" Rogue tilts her head.

"What do you think it's like to never age?" His aura is of concern with underlying tones of curiosity.

"She doesn't 'never' age, Shadow. She just ages slower than others." Rogue fiddles with the paper bag. "It must be nice, though, to age slower…but also very lonely. If she ages slower than means she'll be alone before she knows it. Do you think that's why Gerald wanted her to stay in isolation?"

Shadow shakes his head. "No. If someone finds out about her abilities or even the Crystal they may want to use it to their advantage." Shadow turns and I close my eyes quickly. Shadow's foot nudges my head. "Get up. Rogue brought you something to eat."

I fake a groan but when I open my eyes I can tell my his aura that he doesn't buy it. I sigh and sit up, taking the bag from Rogue. I start eating the cold fries and hamburger.

"What are you planning to do now? It seems our leads are all worn." Rogue sits in front of me.

I stop eating to think about the circle symbol on the wall of the cave. It was new which means the clan isn't extinct. "I'm going to find the Juziku clan and I'm going to get some answers."

"And where do you expect to find this clan?" Rogue inspects the Crystal in the sun. The purple-black still clouds the blue.

"The answer is in the caves. We're going back and we're exploring the land. Is Ivo still close by?" I look at Shadow.

"Not likely." He answers.

I start to calculate the airships speed in my head. "He'll still be close by." I put everything back in the bag and stand and start up the plane.

"I thought you didn't fly at night!" Rogue yells over the plane's propeller as she and Shadow get into the passenger seat.

"I don't!" I answer her. "But I will this one time because Ivo's airship can fly ten times faster than this stupid thing." The plane takes off. The sunset blinds me but I keep flying and hoping that I don't run into anything. It doesn't take long to find the airship Ivo flies. I land on it then run around the ship looking for my cousin-who-isn't-my-cousin.

He's surprised-when I do find him-that I decided to try and find him. "I need your help, Ivo." I find that I'm out of breath but I'm not completely sure how that's possible. I can run through a mile of snow and sand but a short run through Ivo's stupid airship and I'm out of breath.

"What do you need help with, my dear?"

I fold my arms. "I need help finding the Juziku clan."

Ivo laughs at the request but his amusement soon turns to concern. I can see it in both his face and his aura. I'm sure he's thinking of putting me in an insane asylum as we speak but I continue to stare him down.

"Yuna, you are the clan. You're the last one."

I shake my head. "Omega and I found a symbol." I hijack a marker from his desk and draw on a window the symbol I found. "Except it was black and white, not red and clear. Anyways point is that it was new. I was able to wipe it off. But I can't do this alone, I need you…I need all of you." I turn to Shadow and Rogue. "You'll help me…won't you?"

Shadow nods silently. In his aura I can pick out bits of happiness behind curiosity.

I smile. "Great."

Ivo hands me a roll of paper towels and glass cleaner that he probably got from one of his robots. "I'll help on this useless mission too but only if you clean up your mess."

It only seems fair. I clean my marker as Ivo sits at the helm. "Where is it we're going first?"

"We found a cave to the east. It had the Millennium Crystal. We can start there. They shouldn't be that far unless they're nomadic but the clan was never nomadic…" I stop suddenly realizing I'm rambling about something Ivo already knows. I set the paper towels and glass cleaner with the robots. I look out the window and overhear their conversation.

"What does she want us to do with this?" The yellow robot asks his buddy.

"I think she wants you to put that away."

Shadow comes up next to me and we watch the sun disappear, the moon replaces it in the sky. "Are you ready for whatever comes?"

"I have to be, Shadow. I'm chasing answers so whatever I find I have to accept."

He doesn't say anything. So we just watch the sky in silence.


	8. Chapter 8

I stare up at the ceiling in the bedroom Ivo assigned to me late last night when everyone started to fall asleep, except for, of course, Shadow. The room reminds me of my days in ARK…sixty years ago…the numbers still put my brain into shock.

I close my eyes. I can see it all in my minds eye and I can hear Maria's laughter.

_"Can't she play with me?" _I hear Maria's voice ask Robotnik.

I can see him shaking his head. _"No, Maria, not today. Go play with Shadow or someone else."_

_ "Why can't I play with Maria?"_

Someone knocking harshly at my door startles me. When did morning come? When did I fall asleep? The knocking continues. I get up and open it.

"We're here." Shadow says.

I rub the sleep from my eyes and follow him.

Ivo had landed in front of the cave sometime in the middle of the night. I lead everyone into the cave. Nothing has changed, even my smudging is still on the wall next to a black handprint that has never been there. I frown and lay my hand over it. When I take it off the chalk comes off too easily.

"It's only a few hours old." I inform everyone behind me.

"How can you be sure?" Ivo inspects the chalk himself. After a few moments he comes to the same conclusion and we continue through the cave. My foot catches on some wire that wasn't there the last time we were here. I trip and land directly on my face. My reflexes never were the greatest.

Something slimy gets dropped on my head and slithers all over my body.

"Eeww…snakes!" I hear Rogue.

Immediately I stand with a scream and back up to Ivo, pulling all of the snakes out of my hair and out of my shirt. A shiver runs up my body. "That wasn't there last time." I look up at Ivo.

"We should be careful from this point forward." Ivo nudges me forward. I step over the snakes, still freaking out that they had all been dropped on me. I walk slower than I normally would. Ivo stays just a few feet behind Shadow and Shadow stays as close to me as a comfortable space would allow. When I look at his aura all I see is concern and awareness.

It takes us another half hour to reach the deepest part of the cave, the part of the cave that we found the Crystal in. I approach the place holder that the Crystal had been just a few days ago. Nobody is here from what I can tell.

I turn to look at Shadow and Ivo and Rogue but something in the shadows moves. I start to move forward but a strong, calloused hand grabs my arm, forcing me back against his body. I feel the sharpness of a knife against my neck. It's so close to my neck that if I moved I would nick myself.

Shadows concerned aura flashes brightly, blinding me momentarily. When his aura calms it's brightness I see they're surrounded as well. They were people with skin tanned from years being out in the sun and they wore tribal masks that you'd only see in museums. They point their spears as my friends.

The man behind me says something in a language I'm not familiar with. I see his aura is just as concerned, he's worried about intruders.

"Ivo, you need to convince them that we aren't here to harm them!" Ivo looks at me and I continue. "They're aura is the same as Shadows in this moment…they're scared. I can't speak their language but-"

"I can understand yours." A woman's voice says. She takes off her mask. She doesn't look any older than seventeen but I can never be sure anymore what their ages are. She says something to the man holding me hostage and he takes away his knife from my neck. The woman takes a closer look at me.

"You said you see auras?" She's skeptical but something in her eyes tells me she is in awe at my ability. I can use this to my advantage.

I nod. "Yeah. You don't believe me…" I hope this really works otherwise I'm just buying time before our execution.

"Where's our Crystal?" She demands.

My eyes flash toward Rogue but I try my best to make sure she doesn't see. It fails. She looks at Rogue then motions the others to search her. Rogue lets out a cry of disdain when they search her.

One of the people took out the Millennium Crystal. The woman in front of me looks displeased with the Crystal's color. She looks at her tribe members. "We're taking them back to our Elder." She says in…well English. The woman points at me. "Keep her separated from the rest, got it?"

Ivo and I are both surprised everyone understands English so well.

"Don't look so surprised. We know a lot of things you can't even imagine."

The man pushes me forward. I follow the woman out of the cave from a different entrance I didn't even knew existed. I take everything in in case I need to hatch up an escape route. I look behind me to check on everyone but each time I do the man separating me grabs my face and forces me to look forward.

We continue on through the fields, into a meadow, and after hours of walking we finally make it to a camp that looks like an older version of a city. Instead of houses there were tents, everyone had tattoos all over their bodies, and a few people had woven feathers into their braids. The soldiers wore tribal masks that look too heavy to actually wear into battle.

Everyone stops their daily activities to stare at us. Women pushes their children into tents but the ones that aren't pushed into tents follow us. We walk up a steep hill to a tent at the top.

"Don't push!" I hear Ivo complain behind me.

The woman we've been following holds up her hand telling me to stop and she walks into the tent. I hear an older woman's voice and the young woman.

I look back and catch a glimpse of Rogue trying to catch her breath but the man makes me look forward again. I sigh in annoyance, hoping he hears it.

The tent opens and I'm shoved inside but I'm the only one entering. Inside looks a lot bigger than I expected. Incense burns in the corner of the room. Luxurious rugs and pillows are spread around a table. The young woman is bowing in front of the old woman.

The man takes my hair and forces me to bow as well. I wince at the pain quietly and bite my tongue. I won't give him any satisfaction of hurting me.

"Keldo, that is no way to treat a woman. Even an outsider." The old woman scolds. "Let the poor woman stand. Let me take a look at her."

The man lets me go. I look up at the old woman. In her day she would've been the most beautiful woman but beauty is like a rose and it withers away quickly.

"Welcome, child. I am Mona, the Elder of the Juziku clan. Linda, here, tells me you claim to see auras." The woman motions for me to sit on a pillow in front of the table.

"I can." I sit on my knees, my posture is stiff, in case I need to run. It doesn't take me long to figure out Linda must the commanding woman sitting in the corner of the room. She watches us with the utmost concern for safety.

Mona grabs my hand roughly and looks into my palm in the dim torchlight. She runs her fingers across my hand. I look around the room awkwardly, trying to find something to concentrate on while the woman looks at my hand.

After five minutes the old woman stares at me in disbelief. She mumbles something in that unknown language but I finally picked out a few languages; French and Spanish. This language was based on other languages.

Linda stares at her in disbelief then at me. She runs out of the tent, dragging Keldo with her.

Mona grabs my hands. "We have been waiting so long for you, Yuna."

I try to get out of her grip. "How did you know my name?"

"I am a palm reader. I can read peoples past and sometimes their future by their hand and your name came up quite a bit. We have been waiting for our Priestess. And now the balance between the earth can be restored. And now Yin and Yang will finally be restored…" There is a certain displeased note that rings underneath her happiness but I ignore it.

I tilt my head. "What is that? A Yang? And a Yin?" I finally get my hands out of her bony grip.

"It is an ancient symbol. You cannot have good without evil and you cannot have evil without good. Yin and Yang the symbol is called. All will be explained at tonight's feast!"

"Why a feast for a bunch of strangers?"

"Because we have finally found our priestess! Go, go, Jay will show you to your tent. You and your friends can share one." She smiles. I notice then that she has many teeth missing.

I let out the question before I can stop myself. "How old are you?"

"I am two hundred and fifty years old."

I stare at disbelief and when I try to stand my legs feel like they'll give out at any moment. I run to Ivo with rubber legs and fall against his chest. It pains me to take a breath. The shock is too much.

"What's wrong?" Ivo asks.

"She's two hundred and fifty years old, Ivo…I just…I can't believe it. Nobody should live that long. No _human _should live that long!"

Ivo rubs my back and tries to calm me in vain.


	9. Chapter 9

The tent looks a lot like the Elder's tent; small on the outside but huge on the inside. There are four beds made up for us. Their version of a bed is a straw matt on the floor with homemade pillows and blankets.

Jay takes off his mask, he has the Yin-Yang symbol on his forehead and a blue line across his nose. He bows. "If you need anything, Mistress, let me know. I am Jay." He takes his leave suddenly.

I lean against Ivo the whole way to the tent. I let gravity take me and fall to my knees.

"What happened in there?" Shadow asks me finally.

"I…I…" I can't spit out the words.

"She's just processing some information, Shadow." Ivo sits on his bed. "Just let her rest for a few hours before the party."

Shadow doesn't leave my side. Nobody should live to be two hundred years old! No human should.

"They aren't human." I finally whisper to myself. "They only took on that form."

Shadow acts like he doesn't hear me but a twitch in his ear tells me he's listening to me. "What made these people?" I continue to whisper my questions, expecting no answer from anybody. "Where did they come from?"

For several hours I continue to ponder these questions.

Then Uncle Robotnik's voice echoes into my pounding head, _"She will be my greatest experiment yet."_

"Yuna?" Shadow's voice snaps me out of my thoughts. I feel the tears burning into my cheeks. I wipe my eyes.

"I'm fine, really." I reassure him. I've never seen Shadow so concerned with anybody except maybe Maria.

Jay pokes his head into the tent. "Come with me." His voice is so deep. I didn't notice it before.

Everyone stands. I'm surprised at how sturdy my legs are but I try not to show it. I walk with them in a protective circle, around me are Rogue, Shadow, and Ivo stands in front. He watches everyone we walk past and they watch us.

We're led to their version of a plaza. It's at the top of a hill, at the bottom are adults and children in costumes. They're still setting up for the play. We're seated next to the Elder woman. We wait for another few minutes before the Elder stands. "Welcome, everyone!" Her old voice booms into the land. Everyone turns their attention to her.

"We have been waiting for hundreds of years for this moment! Our Priestess has finally returned!"

Everyone cheers. I cover my ears so my eardrums don't burst. I'm so used to the quiet isolation that noises like cheering still bother me.

Mona continues when the cheering and chatting dies down. "And with her is the Crystal. Our land shall be blessed again at Harvest! But first a show." She gestures for the actors to start.

A kid gets up on a stump. He projects perfectly. "Thousands of years ago," he took a deep breath and I couldn't help but laugh. He wasted all of his energy in projecting so everyone can hear. Mona gives me a dirty look and I turn away so I can try to compose myself.

The kid forgets his lines and starts again. "Thousands of years ago, when the earth was young and new, the gods looked upon this earth and declared it good and sent us here to live." He takes a deep breath. "There were two clans made, The Juziku and the Cornella. The Juziku clan Elder, Tellas, pleased the gods so much that they gave him a crystal to last a Millennia." One of the actors holds up a blue rock. "The Millennia Crystal made the Cornella clan jealous and they tried many times to attack but our faithful Priests and Priestesses kept us safe for hundreds of years. One year a Priest touched the Crystal and was possessed by a demon. He ravaged the land. Our Elder went to the gods and pleaded with them. Our lord, Yang, helped us get rid of the demon but at a terrible cost. The Priest was sealed in the Crystal with the demon. Yang told his people that the Priest or Priestess with the purest heart must NEVER use the Crystal again. Instead they must train another Priest or Priestess…" Behind the child I finally saw the actors act. They are pantomiming in the background.

"Eighty years ago…" I stiffen up. It feels like someone jammed a pole into my spine. "Yang's brother, Yin, became jealous of our Crystal and our land. He sent the Cornella clan after us. Our brother and our sister, Kathrine and Beta, were carrying the next Priestess as our Elder, Mona, predicted. They killed the Priest Juan. His dying act was hiding the Crystal. Mona predicted that our Priestess would be drawn to the Crystal if she ever came back. For Eighty years we waited. Our General watched her and her friends approach the cave and the General reported to our Elder. The Crystal was gone so we waited and we hid and she came back to us!"

Everyone cheers. Ivo politely claps. So that's what happened all those years ago. The child motions for me to come over. I start shaking. I _hate _crowds with a passion that nobody can understand. Slowly I stand and force myself to make way toward the child without tripping.

The child holds out the Crystal. "Take it, Priestess."

I look around at everyone. Ivo is furiously shaking his head, his arms reaching out as if he could catch me and pull me back by him. Shadow leans forward, as if he's seeing some unknown attack. Everyone else is watching and waiting. Everyone's auras blur together.

"Priestess Yuna." The boy whispers. "Take it."

My breath holds in my lungs as I reach out and take it. I can barely hear Ivo behind me, shouting out my name. My eyes roll to the back of my head and I feel my legs come out from beneath me.

_I knew what would happen! Why did I even do it? I pound my fist against my head. "Stupid, Stupid, Stupid!" I yell._

_ I'm floating in space. My hair floats around me. I see the red streaks that remind me so much of Shadow. I hope I didn't let him down._

_ "You didn't let him down." I hear a voice. The stars around me form to make a human man. "Hello, Yuna." He says._

_ "Who are you?" I tilt my head._

_ "I am Yang. They believe I'm a god." The man laughs. "I really am not."_

_ "Then what are you?"_

_ "Well I'm just a semi-immortal life form. Same as you...and the rest of the clan. We come from a being called Black Doom." He starts to disappear. "Ah, damn." The man laughs. "Yin is trying to interfere again. That means our time is up."_

_ "Wait! Tell me more!" _

_ "I can't. The signal is breaking. Touch the Crystal again. I promise I will appear."_

_ He disappears. A girls voice laughs around me. "Stupid brother. He can't get away that easily." A girl that looks exactly like me appears. I remember her from when I first touched the Crystal._

"She will be okay." _I hear a voice say from outside._

_ "You are…Yin?" I ask._

_ The girl nods. "Yes. I am. Do not listen to his lies. There's no use for you in the state you are in, anyway…" She snaps her fingers in my face. "Wake up!"_

I open my eyes with a sudden gasp. The moonlight shines through the window. Nothing makes sense. Did she not call me Yang before? What is going on?

I rub my head as if the answers will come to me if I rub my temples hard enough. Too many pieces of the puzzle are missing and the play I saw earlier only depicted of a myth, and probably not an accurate one.

"I need answers…" I sit up and wake Shadow. "We're going into the city."


	10. Chapter 10

I wouldn't let Ivo go with me and Shadow and I refused to let Rogue come and egg me on. We ride the bus through the city. I plan on going to the library. I bite my nails and shake my leg.

Shadow puts a hand on my leg. "You're doing it again."

"Doing what? Annoying you?"

Shadow gives me a dirty look. I sigh and lean back, rubbing my face. "I'm sorry, Shadow. I just…I can't process all of this."

"And getting even more information to process will help?"

Now I give him a dirty look. The bus stops and opens its doors. Shadow walks off the bus but it isn't our stop.

"Shadow!" I scold and jump off the bus after him. I follow him. "What are you doing?"

He doesn't answer me. I follow him and we walk. I look around the city. It isn't as pretty as it is at night. Still, it's prettier than most cities, and oddly quiet. I smile and let Shadow drag me wherever he wants.

I start to hum quietly, a tune that I've never hear before, but it makes Shadow's lip twitch into a small smile only for a second. The smile makes him look more evil than he is.

"Where are we going, Shadow?" I finally ask.

"The library like you wanted."

"We could've taken the dumb bus!" I smack the back of his head.

He growls. "You need to process the information that you've received. On the ARK you would walk. So we're walking. That way you don't pass out!"

I growl at him but I know he's right. I HATE that he's right!

I let him lead me to the library. It takes an hour to get there so I try and process the information. But all I can hear are a bunch of voices in my head. _"She will be my greatest experiment!" "I'm an artificial life. Same as you and the rest of the clan." "Touch the Crystal and I'll come back." "Do not listen to his lies." "Wake up!"_

"Yuna." Shadow's voice drags me out of my trance. "We're here."

The library is huge! It's three stories and holds millions upon millions of books! The book cases line the walls and the halls and touches the ceiling. The ceiling is a dome of skylight.

Shadow and I gather books and articles based on the Millennium Crystal, the Juziku clan, and anything related to that. We spend hours looking through the books and articles.

I throw a book across the desk we sit at. "We aren't finding anything new!" I yell. My voice echoes through the library and everyone glares at me. I lay my head down, hoping not to be noticed by whoever runs the library. "We aren't finding anything new!" I repeat in a whisper.

"I heard you the first time." Shadow stacks the books and starts to put them back. I pick up a stack and follow him around the library.

"It just sucks. The entire point for us coming here was to learn something new." I put books back as I pass the spots that I got them from. "All I learned was Robotnik theorized that the crystal is made from the same elements that the Chaos Emeralds are made out of."

"That's something new." After we're done we walk out of the library.

"It's a theory. I wasn't looking for theories." We walk to a bus station and sit on the bench. We sit in silence for a very long time. "Shadow," I finally say, "what happened when I touched the Crystal?"

"You passed out…" I watch his aura switch like a light, full of concern and worry, "and when Ivo touched you, you started convulsing for a few seconds. Mona helped calm the seizures."

I thought about the old woman. "Nobody else appears to have "special abilities"."

"So?" Shadow looks at me with confusion. The bus stops so I don't answer him until we've settled ourselves in the back of the bus.

"Well a few things bother me, if my parents ran away because they were attacked then why didn't they just find another person to replace me? Why wait all of these years? And more importantly, how is it she has a type of psychic ability but nobody else does?"

Shadow stares at me. Then a small smile forms on his face.

"What?" I tilt my head.

"Dr. Robotnik may not have been your uncle but you act a lot like him. Too many questions and not enough answers."

I can't help but smile. "I guess so. But what can you expect from somebody who was raised by a scientist."

We sit quietly for a few minutes. Shadow suddenly breaks the good tension between us, "Why do your questions bother you so much? Their behavior seems normal."

"Maybe but…there wasn't any chance of me finding them again. They should've just moved on. And how is a priest or priestess even chosen? Obviously I was chosen while in the womb but why? And how?" I rub my head. "Ugh! Stress headache."

"Then answer one question at a time. See where it takes you."

I look out the window. One thing is for certain, I need answers and only Yang can answer them form me. Hopefully without Yin interfering.


	11. Chapter 11

"Ivo! Listen to me!" I keep trying to cut him off but he just moves me from his way. We walk through the crowd of clan members buying stuff from makeshift shops. Everything here is based on trading, there is no money system. A blanket for some eggs or a child for some tools. Anything can be bought and sold.

"It isn't a good idea, Yuna." Ivo insists.

"But if I can find out something then I need that Crystal. Where is it?"

He shakes his head in an answer.

"Ivo!"

"No, Yuna! If you don't like my answer find someone else to bother!"

I stop in my tracks. I know he doesn't think of me as a bother but it doesn't hurt any less. "Fine if you won't help me I'll find someone who does!" I yell at his back but he doesn't turn around. I run to the hill where I know I'll find Mona and I tell her everything.

She has Keldo make us some tea as I tell her. I still feel uncomfortable around the man who held a knife to my neck just a few days ago, ready to kill me. The old woman separates dried leaves and fruit to make specific flavors of tea. When I finish she looks at me.

"That may be a good idea. Maybe you can figure out how to use the Crystal's power." She hands me a small, burlap bag. "Take Keldo with you." She insists. "In case you start to convulse again." If I wasn't paying attention I would've missed her handing Keldo a bag much like mine. "And take her very far away." She whispers.

I can see in her aura an underlying evil. She's plotting something but I don't have much proof of that. I let Keldo lead me to the theater, now clear of humanoid life. Quietly, he sits on the ground. He's so young, and has very few tattoos over his arms and face.

"How old are you?" I can't stop the question from coming out.

"Seventeen," he answers. His voice sounds so high pitched in English but in his language he can mask it. "They usually don't let someone so young join the military but I'm a special exception."

"Oh?" I sit a little too far away. "How come?"

"You don't have to sit so far away from me, Priestess." He's avoiding the question. "I won't harm you."

I look away. "Yeah, I know that…" I take a deep breath. Okay. I need to do this. I take the Crystal out and hold it, even when it shocks me momentarily. I press it between my palms and close my eyes, half expecting to pass out.

_"Don't worry, you won't pass out this time." _I hear a familiar voice echo in my head. _"Just continue holding the Crystal." _

I smile. "I have questions to ask you." I whisper into the Crystal. I'm sure I look like a complete lunatic right now!

_"Ask away. I can answer almost anything." _Yang sounds so laid back, it calms me. My body relaxes.

"How is it a Priest is chosen?"

Yang laughs. _"Is that all that's bothering you? A Priest is chosen based on bloodline. If you are a descendent of someone Doom originally created to destroy the world. It ended up not happening, obviously."_

"What happened?"

Yang is silent for a long moment. _"Forgive me but it's better to show you."_ I feel my body hit the ground.

"What happened?" I hear Shadow demand. How long has he been with me?

_I open my eyes into the darkness of space. Yang is next to me with half of the Yin-Yang symbol on his forehead. He has the white portion with the black dot in the middle. "Watch in front of us." He says. I watch the darkness burst into thousands of tiny lights and planets._

_ "Long ago when the world was new humans were born along with the plants and animals that live there. The devil your world knows as Black Doom was displeased. Some may even say jealous. He created a humanoid creature to destroy the world but something else happened instead."_

_ I watch as everything unfolds like a movie. The man created has blond hair and looks like a man version of me. _

_ "He created a clan called Juziku. Black Doom was displeased with his own work that he made my sister and me and sent us to earth but for some reason we could only take the form of the Crystal you see. We're Yin and Yang, originally made to be two evils but instead we kept the balance of good and evil for years and years. The Priest or Priestess must obey one of us and it has always been me they've listened to…. Until one day a priest was born and listened to my sister's ill words and destroyed the land. Volcanoes would stop erupting, nothing grew, and the earth became a wasteland. Pure of Heart has nothing to do with whether the earth becomes a wasteland or not. It all depends on if the priest or priestess listens to the right voice…The Cornella Clan didn't even exist until the demon Cornella…that's the name they gave the Priest. The clan worships my sister in hopes the world will be reborn in fire."_

_ The image shatters and Yang doubles over as if in pain._

_ "Yang, are you telling lies to this poor girl?" Yin appears next to him. I can't see their aura and that bothers me. Yin folds her arms. "You're cheating! She isn't getting both sides of the story!" The two glare at each other for a long while. "So, girl, which one of us are you going to listen to?"_

_ "I can't do it. I can have that kind of pressure on my shoulders!"_

_ "You don't have a choice." Yang stands, his pain is gone. "You have to use the Crystal whether you want to or not…"_

_ "Why do I have to?" I demand._

_ "Because if you don't…then you'll die." Yin folds her arms. "Everyone will die either way so you may as well get it over with and choose!" Yin stomps her foot. "You have until the Harvest Festival." With that Yin disappears._

_ "Sorry. I couldn't keep her away for long." Yang has an apologizing look. "I don't think I'll be able to from here on out either. I'll see you at the Harvest." Then Yang disappears._


	12. Chapter 12

I open my eyes slowly. I don't want it to be morning and my wish comes true. I can't face Ivo after going behind his back to get the stupid Crystal. _Stupid! Stupid! Stupid! Stupid! _I think to myself. It takes my body a few minutes to listen to me and stand up. Quietly I move out of the tent and outside.

The moon's pale light washes over everything. Jay is outside, guarding us.

"Jay?" I whisper so nobody in the tent wakes up. Jay looks at me. "When is the Harvest Festival?"

Jay holds up three fingers.

"Three what? Days? Weeks?"

"Three months, idiot." The voice is too familiar. It's the woman general. "Jay doesn't know much English. He doesn't know months." She folds her arms. "Why?"

"I just need to know." I walk off down the hill.

"Where do you think you're going?" She yells after me.

"On a walk!" I yell back at her, suddenly not caring if Ivo hears me because I need to run away. I need to get away from here.

I don't get very far. I sit on top of a hill, watching the sunrise. None of this makes any sense. The front of my head hurts and my body doesn't want to do anything but hide away and pretend I don't even exist.

I hear someone behind me but I'm too afraid to turn around. "Is someone sitting here?" Ivo asks out of politeness. He knows nobody is sitting around me.

I shake my head and he sits. For a few minutes we watch the sunrise from the mountains and hills.

"I'm sorry, Ivo." I can feel myself crying but I try to push it down with every blink. I can't look at him still.

"I think I would've done the same thing if I were looking for as many answers as you're looking for." Ivo sounds both understanding and like he's going to scold me. He takes a deep breath. "With as many times as you have touched the Crystal I'm surprised you haven't destroyed the earth yet."

I shake my head. "No. They can only be released during the Harvest Festival in three months…and by then I have to listen to one of them."

"What does that mean? Listen to them give you directions?"

I shrug. "We won't know until the time comes, will we?" I finally look at him. He looks a lot older than he did when I saw him a week ago. Before I dragged him into my mess. "I'm sorry I dragged you into all of this. You probably had a lot of world domination stuff to get to, huh?"

He smiles and put his arm around me and pulls me into a hug. "I'll put anything on hold for family."

I wrap my arms around him and bury my head into his chest.

"Of course if you tell anyone I'm a softie underneath I will have to kill you."

I laugh. "Alright, this will be our little secret then." I pull away from the hug and we watch the sun make its course above the hills and mountains.

"What will you do then, Yuna?"

"Do you have anybody that could help give me advice?" I look at him. Whoever he has in mind he's reluctant to say their name.

Finally he says, "The only person I can think of is my nemesis, Sonic."

I nod. "Take me to him. In fact…take all of us to him. You, me, Rogue, and Shadow."

Within the hour everyone is piled in Ivo's ship going who knows where. I just watch outside, hoping that whoever we're going to can help me better than some dumb library.

"You're doing it again." Shadow says.

"Doing what?" Even to me I sound annoyed. I flinch. "Sorry…" I whisper.

"You're worrying." Shadow ignores my apology.

I look at Ivo. "When will we be there?"

"Any minute." Ivo answers just before the airship rocks.

"Please tell me that's turbulence."

"I wish." Orbot rubs his head as if he just sustained a concussion.

"That is our annoyance boarding. Let me land before we sustain any more-" The ship rocks again, sending me into the window. "…damage." Ivo sighs and lands the ship and turns everything off.

A blue hedgehog who looks so much like Shadow breaks into the room. "Hey, Egghead!"

Ivo raises his hands, already surrendering before he even has a chance to fight. "I'm not here to fight today. In fact I've left all of my evilness behind."

I laugh aloud and way too hard. Everyone stares at me. "I'm sorry." I force out. "But the color of his aura…" I can't even finish. I'm laughing too hard.

"And uh…who are you?"

I finally compose myself. "Yuna Robotnik." I introduce.

The blue hedgehog looks from me to Ivo and back again. "You're related to egghead? How? You're so…pretty…and you look a lot smarter than him too."

"Adopted." I look at Ivo. "You can't possibly tell me he's the one that's gonna help me, Ivo." I fold my arms.

"It's his annoying friend that will help you." He explains. "This is Sonic the Hedgehog, my nemesis. His friend Tails is just a little bit smarter than him. He may know something about your Crystal."

Sonic looks at me. "Help?" Then he looks at Ivo. "Why would I help any of your relatives?"

"Because believe it or not I'm trying to make sure your world isn't destroyed." I start to walk out. "If you won't lead me to your friend I'll track him down myself!"

I can tell by his aura alarms are set off in his head. He suddenly appears in front of me, cutting me off. "If you make any move to hurt him-"

"You have my word, Sonic the Hedgehog, I will not harm him."

Shadow moves next to me. He doesn't say a word but by his and Sonic's looks I can tell they do. I turn around as I walk backwards. "Ivo, stay here! I'll be back soon!" I turn back to face the front and follow Sonic to a creek. A yellow, two-tailed fox sat by the creek with a bunch of little animals playing around him.

He turns and his face and aura light up when he sees Sonic. "Did you get Egghead before he could do something awful?"

"Well…kind of. Tails this is his cousin, Yuna."

Tails stares at me. His aura is alert and wary. "What is she doing here, then?"

"I just need some help, kid." I kneel a few feet away from him and I start to explain everything.

The last part makes Tails frown. "There's a contradiction in your story." He points at me accusingly.

"Yeah? What is it?"

"Yin called you Yang. If you're Yang then Yang can't be in the Crystal."

I frown. "I have an IQ of 190, how did I not figure that out?"

Tails shrugs then picks up a monitor of some form. "If Yin is in there then Yang isn't who he says he is."

"Well then who is this 'yang' person?" I demand.

"Whoever it is he isn't a good guy, Yuna." Suddenly the child lights up. "But it's fascinating to think that the Juziku clan is alive!" He continues to type on the monitor. He reads from it. "Yin and Yang are the beings that keep the planet in place. They control the destruction, life and death, and good and evil."

_"The Cornella Clan didn't even exist until the demon Cornella…" _Yang's words suddenly click in my head. Was this Yang the Cornella demon? I run my hands through my hair. "Tails…who do I listen to?"

"I would say Yin. She seems to be telling the truth."

"But Yin is the evil one…isn't she?"

"Who's to say? Only you can answer that, Yuna."

I frown. None of this makes me feel any better.


	13. Chapter 13

I lay in bed with a pillow over my head. I don't bother to look when the door opens. "What are you doing?" Rogue demands.

I groan. "I'm suffocating myself."

Rogue forces the pillow from my head. "You look awful."

"That's one way to kick me while I'm down." I turn on my side so my back is to her.

"What are you so depressed about? You got answers, didn't you? You know someone in that stupid Crystal is lying!"

"But there isn't any way to figure out who is! I'm frustrated!"

She slaps me. For some odd reason it actually makes me feel…better about myself. "What was that for?" I demand and sit up to look at her. She has one hand on her hip.

"You needed to be slapped! You are Dr. Eggman's cousin, adopted or not! You are seventy years old and you have an IQ of 190! If you cannot figure out this stupid situation that you are in…well the world is going to be killed because some idiot sat around and felt sorry for herself!" She pushed the pillow to my chest.

I can't help but smile and whisper, "Thanks…but slap me again and Shadow will be down one friend."

I see a hint of a smile that she can't hide from me and she leaves my room. I walk outside. Shadow is staring up at the moonlight. His face hides what he's thinking. I stand next to him and look up at the full moon.

"Hey…sorry I've been pouting lately." I say quietly, not quite whispering but close enough. "I promise from here on out I'll come to you with my problems…okay?" I make a fist and lightly punches his arm, making him move a little. He doesn't say anything, he doesn't need to. We both have an understanding now.

I watch Cubot clean the ship while Orbot lazily reads a magazine in the corner. Outside Sonic and Tails talk to Ivo in a semi pleasant conversation. Sonic still is alert and Tails is more annoyed by the conversation than he lets on.

I don't notice my humming until Orbot asks me to stop. I sigh and walk outside.

"…I don't think she gets it." I hear Tails finish.

"Hey, Ivo, we're ready to leave."

Tails' ears perk up. "Hey," he runs over to me, "I did some more research and found out that this person claiming to be 'Yang' is rumored to be a demon named Cornella. So be careful the next time you touch the Crystal."

"I won't be touching the Crystal for a few months…actually…" I look at Ivo, "I want to go back home until the Harvest Festival."

Ivo stares at me in half disbelief. "Well I guess that makes sense you don't want to go back."

I smile and thank him for understanding. I look at Tails, "Thank you so much for helping me."

There was a strange light in his eyes. I remind him of someone he cares about, obviously. I turn to step onto the airship with Ivo but Sonic grabs my hand. I turn to him.

"Hey, I'm sorry for not trusting you before. You're obviously nothing like Baldy McNosehair."

I laugh at the childish nickname and pat his head. "And you are obviously not as old as I think you are."

"Hey, what's that supposed to mean?"

I ignore his question and get onto the airship. He keeps calling out to me but all I do is grin at him until he's no longer in sight.

I want this to end…and I want it to end now. But I have three months of isolation and some thinking to do.


	14. Chapter 14

I open my window and let in the fresh, spring air. The snow melted during the three months I've been home. Three months…it's almost here.

I shake my head. No need to think about it until I see Ivo. I grab the basket I set next to the door. "I'm going out!" I yell to Shadow who hasn't yet come out of his room. Was he even up yet? Who knows! I walk out. The bushes have berries, frozen by the winter months and soon to be ripe. I pick blueberries and only the reddest strawberries.

Goosebumps quickly appear on my arms, especially when the winds kick up. Dew drips from the leaves and onto my hands creating an icy feeling. I hum softly while coming back home with a basket full of figs, berries, and lavender flowers. I stop by a tree. Shadow and Rogue are boarding he airship Ivo always manages. Again Omega would be left behind.

"It's time to go!" Ivo yells to me.

I take a deep breath and get on the airship. It's time. The Harvest Festival was quick to approach.

I get on the airship. Everyone is quiet and staring at me.

"Geeze you all act like you're coming to my funeral!" I sit on the floor. Nobody is amused by my attempt at making the atmosphere less dark.

"Nice to see you too." Ivo mutters as he steers the ship toward the clan.

"So what have you decided to do?" It's Shadow, his voice underlying with concern again. I almost forgot he could be so concerned with my safety. In the last three months he hasn't been concerned at all about me.

"Don't be going soft on me, now." I play around but he isn't amused. "I don't know."

Ivo grips the steering wheel tightly. "You mean to tell me that you spent your three months on vacation?!"

"Don't yell, Ivo! I spent it thinking, trust me! But I also spent it with friends. Of course I was distracted!" Ivo lands and I stand. We file outside. The cool winds slap my face. It's bringing a storm for the Harvest Festival.

We crest over the hill and I freeze to take in the scene before me. Everyone is bustling about. Children make paper lanterns to light tonight and adults exchange gifts from the winter harvest.

Jay whistles for everyone to come around when he sees us. I turn to Ivo. "Promise me something." I whisper to him. "Promise me you'll get Shadow and Rogue out of here if I make the wrong choice."

Ivo stares down at me, at first confused because I had told him I didn't know my decision, then he seems to understand, then he pats my head. "You won't."

"Please Ivo!" I insist.

"Fine. I promise."

I smile. It makes me feel better that I know my friends and family will be safe even if I don't make the right decision.

The whole clan gathers around us as we try to make our way to the tent I had been in three months before. The crowd doesn't let us part. Children start to climb on a displeased Shadow, Rogue scares the ones that attempt to climb around her, and Ivo is scaring off all the young men that try to hit on me. I braid my hair to the side of my head.

In the back of the crowd Mona coughs obnoxiously loud. "Let the Priestess get ready. Your clothes are in your tent, Priestess."

I nod my head in a small bow and make my way to the tent. All of the beds but one had been taken out and replaced with dead flowers and jewelry. On the bed is a dress made of deer's skin. The end of the dress skims just above my knees. I bite my lip. The wind pushing up beneath my dress makes me uncomfortable wearing it. The only thing that keeps it up is a single, inch wide shoulder strap. It's all adorned with turquoise beads and elk skin trim.

A young girl pushes her head into the tent. "Knock, knock, can I enter?"

"Might as well, half your body is through."

The young girl has red hair, one half of her head is shaved. "You don't have any tattoos so I have to paint them on you. May I?"

I nod and let her paint my body with stars and trees and in the middle of my forehead she paints the Yin-Yang symbol. I lick my thumb and smudge off the Yin symbol.

"What are you doing?" The girl demands.

"Trust me. This makes me look a lot better."

The girl shrugs and takes my palm. "The sun and the moon." She whispers as she paints it. "You are ready. Jay shall escort you when it is time."

I wait until she's out of the tent to let out a breath. My hands start to shake and I pace my tent. _I can! I can do this! I can do this! _

"Priestess?"

I jump at Jay's voice.

"Forgive me." He starts to bow out but I run over.

"No, no, no, it's okay. It's okay. What is it?"

"It is time."

"O-oh…Okay…" I take a deep breath. "Okay I can do this." He's confused but leads me without questioning me. My heart races with every step we take. Every step leads me one step closer the Crystal. My heart pounds in my throat and in my ears. I don't hear everyone cheering for me. I stop by Mona and sit with shaking legs.

"…Isn't that right?" Mona is looking at me. Everyone is looking at me.

"Yes?" I look at Ivo who shrugs. He isn't paying attention either.

Everyone bursts into excitement and cheers. Whatever Mona had said 'yes' was the right answer. Mona presents me with the Crystal. "Touch it. And renew the world in fire!"

I grab the Crystal. So that's what she wants. She wants me to destroy the world. I close my eyes and I feel my spirit leaving my body, it feels like someone is yanking my heart from my chest but it isn't painful. It's a different feeling than the one before. Before I had been in my own subconscious but now I am going into _their _world, into _their _territory. I watch everyone below watch my body expectantly. Time seems to have slowed. Ivo is trying to usher out Shadow and Rogue with little to no explanation. Everyone is still in the middle of cheering and Mona is watching me…expecting the demon.

"So you have decided to join us as Yang." Yin and I look at each other. It looks like I'm looking into a mirror…I am looking into a mirror. All around me are mirrors and all I see is Yin but one mirror holds the demon claiming to be Yang.

"Who are you really?" I demand of him.

"I am Yang." He claims.

"Stop lying to the girl!" Yin hisses. Her hand comes from the mirror to point at me. "Look at her forehead!" The mirror that I thought Yin was in went away.

_This is like a dream…_I remind myself. _Of course the laws of logic don't exist here! _

The mark on the man's forehead replaces itself with a mark I've only seen once before. Maria drew it out long ago for me and claimed I should get it as a tattoo. It was a half spiral with spikes coming from the outside spiral.

"You saw right through me!" The mirrors disappear and it is just the three of us. "But I will be the one taking your body. The world must be baptized in fire!"

"No!" I shoot out my hand to grab him but it looked as if he hit glass. He turns on me, his eyes turning red.

"What magic is this?" He growls.

"She never intended to listen to you, genius. Therefor her body nor the world below will accept you." Yin folds her arms. "How does it feel to be trapped…Cornella."

Cornella growls. His body turns from humanoid to snake. "It must burn!" He goes for my neck.

"Watch it!" Yin pushes me out of the way. Cornella bites her neck and she writhes in space.

"Yin!" A force starts pulling me back to my body. "Yin what do I do?"

"Destroy it! Destroy the Crystal in fire!" She commands.

I'm surrounded by darkness. I feel my body hitting the ground.

"Yuna!" I hear Ivo call my name.

"Now Rise, Cornella!" Mona commands.

I open my eyes. They must look different than before, or not what she expects because Mona looks confused.

A voice that isn't my own pulls out of my throat. "You have been such a disappointment." It sounds like mine, and Yin's, and Cornella's. I stand, holding the crystal tightly in my hand so it leaves an impression.

_Destroy it in fire, _I remind myself. Beyond Mona I can see Ivo, fear stains his eyes and aura. I wink at him to let him know I'm still here but it doesn't help.

"Who are you?" Mona demands.

"I'm…me…" The voices disappear and it's my own again. "I'm me…Who do you think I am, Mona? I'm not an idiot!"

"You aren't supposed to be in there!" Mona tries to take the Crystal but I throw it at Ivo. It hits his forehead and lands in the palm of his hands.

"Destroy it, Ivo!"

"Get the Crystal!" Mona yells at Jay.

"Intense heat! Like a flame! Go! Run!"

A blur of black and red lines snatches the Crystal from Ivo's hand. "You said fire, right?"

"Like fire, Shadow!" A knife is held to my back.

"Bring me back that Crystal or she'll die!" Mona demands.

Shadow stops in his tracks. He's so far away. He almost made it to the airship.

"Go!" I scream at him.

Rogue takes the Crystal from his hands. Whatever she says to him gives him hope and he takes off skating down the hill. I keep my eyes on Rogue until she's over the hill.

Even though I don't have the Crystal somehow my spirit gets pulled from my body. Again I am watching a scene in slow motion. Yin is lying, looking lifeless in the space next to Cornella.

"It's your turn to disappear, little girl." He hisses and slithers over to me.

I back up slowly into an invisible wall. Yin hasn't disappeared but why isn't she moving?

Cornella goes to strike but I move out of the way and run to Yin. I try to shake her, feel a pulse, but I can't get any sign of life from her. We're spirits after all…logic doesn't exist…

I reach my hand out into space. _I need a sword…sword…sword…_ I wrap my hands around the nothingness and feel a solid object. A sword.

Cornella shakes the stars from his head. I stand and twirl the sword. "Come and get me you snake!" I challenge.

He strikes and I use the sword as a shield. _Cut off his head! _

I step on his tail. He abandons the sword and goes to strike but I move my foot and cut off its head.


	15. Chapter 15

The sword disappears into stars. The snake is nothing more than smoke. I hear Yin stand behind me. "Good job…Yuna."

I turn to her. She smiles and holds out her had. "It's time we end things with Mona."

I smile and grab her hand.

I see Shadow trying to skate to me. Keldo has a knife to my back.

_"Hold out your hand!" _I hear Yin say in my head. My body obeys. I see fear in her aura and this time the aura is tangible. It feels like melting ice in my hand. I grab it and yank.

Above us lightening strikes Mona. Shadow grabs me and takes me to shelter. Everyone screams and scrambles to find cover from the storm.

I can't see anything in the sudden darkness. All I know is Shadow is dragging me through mud and twigs and into a cold, dark place, maybe it's a cave. All I can do is trust him and wait until light comes out. Rain hits my face and plasters my hair to my face.

I don't remember falling asleep but I do remember opening my eyes. My head pounds like a little tiny drummer boy using my head as a drum.

I groan.

"You know a dress doesn't suit you." Shadow says from the cave's mouth.

"Is everyone…?" I can't finish my question.

"Everyone is fine. And they're waiting."

I smile. "So I made the right choice…I made it…we made it…" I continue to mumbles nonsense until the darkness of dreaming takes me under.

When I open my eyes again I'm hooked to IVs in a hospital. Everyone is waiting for my waking. By my side is Tails. He smiles seeing me up and runs out into the hall.

"She's up everyone!"

A doctor rushes into the room and starts checking my vitals. He turns to Ivo. "It seems she'll make a full recovery after all. Give her some time. Her brain shouldn't process too much at once."

"Thank you, doctor." Ivo comes by my side and takes my hand.

I want to speak but the tube in my throat won't allow me to. It gently forces my lungs to expand and slowly it sucks the air out, and does it again. Instead I just smile and watch everyone speak to each other and to me but I don't process a word any of them say.

I spend another week in the hospital before they discharge me. Ivo couldn't stay long and neither could Sonic and Tails. That left Omega, Shadow, and Rogue. Rogue seems…relieved, to say the least, at my recovery. She keeps talking about all of the gems and precious treasure they'll find with my help.

I can't help but laugh. "Rogue, nobody even asked my opinion about joining you three."

"Well I just assumed…" She looks at Shadow. "Say something, Shadow!"

Shadow looks at me from the corner of his eyes, smirks, and walks away.

"Shadow!" Rogue yells and follows him.

Omega puts a hand between my shoulder blades. "You will join us though…won't you?" The robot looks at me. He almost looks worried that I'll say no.

I smile and climb on his back. "Sure I will. If you carry me. My legs still aren't working like they're supposed to." I swear Omega would smile if he could. He follows Shadow and Rogue while Rogue is still yelling that Shadow ask me to stay.

_This adventure was like no other I'll ever be on…_A star shoots across the sky. I fold my hands and make a wish.


End file.
